For the field of life science research, including molecular biology, the targeted analysis of molecules, particularly biomolecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids, is of high importance. Analysis of these molecules can require their separation and/or isolation from reaction mixtures or biological samples. Methodologies and techniques are well known in the art for separation and/or isolation of target molecules from a reaction mixture or complex biological sample including the methodology or technique to use coated magnetic particles to which target molecules bind to by high-affinity interaction. Many of these methodologies and techniques for separation and/or isolation of these target molecules bound to magnetic particles do not remove all or substantially all of the reaction mixture or biological sample, resulting in residual contamination, which requires further manipulation of the sample to reduce the contamination. Alternatively, part of the target molecules bound to magnetic particles are lost during removal of the reaction mixture because of inaccurate liquid handling steps such as pipetting. Further manipulation of the sample results in added time and costs for analysis, and increases the risk of loss of the target molecules during the process. Additionally, many of these methodologies and techniques do not allow for an easy transfer of the target molecule loaded magnetic beads to a new reaction vessel. This transfer may be required, because contaminants, such as other biomolecules, may be adsorbed to the walls of the original reaction vessel.
Accordingly, a need exists for methodologies and devices that allow removal of all or substantially all of any contaminating reaction mixture when separating and/or isolating molecules bound to magnetic particles from a reaction mixture with minimized loss of molecules bound to magnetic particles and easy and complete transfer of molecules bound to magnetic particles to a new reaction vessel for further manipulations such as washing steps. It is, among the objects herein, to provide such methodologies and devices.